Executives considering any type of merger or acquisition do their due diligence. They pore over balance sheets, scrutinize operational procedures, evaluate budgets and forecasts, and conduct numerous other analyses. But how often do they pause to consider the people. Bringing together two companies also brings together two sets of people. And the corporate cultures within which these people operate may be significantly different.

Historically, succession planning has been focused on key leadership roles. For example, when Jack Welch was the CEO of GE, the rule of thumb was three replacements for his role. In other words, there should be three people with the potential to replace him at any given time. This concept has been adapted and proven to be effective by a number of organizations. One that comes to mind is McDonalds, which survived the unexpected loss of two CEOs in a nine-month period.

For companies that are looking to grow, it’s essential to be fully aware of the risks and rewards of global expansion and to appreciate that company culture is a more important consideration than ever.